SLIPPERY ROCK— The Frontier League was looking for a field. Critchfield Park was looking for a team.

The result: Professional baseball found Slippery Rock.

The Frontier League — an independent minor league that will expand from 10 to 12 teams next summer — announced Monday the formation of a franchise that will call the ballpark at Slippery Rock University home in 2007.

Early this offseason, the Southern Illinois Miners, based in Marion, became the league's 11th franchise.

"If you have 11, you have to have 12 teams to keep a balanced schedule,"Frontier League Commissioner Bill Lee said. "The league owners wanted to just add a 12th franchise that traveled all the time, to give every team more home games.

"That really wasn't feasible, so the league decided to form and own a 12th team for a year. We chose Slippery Rock for the facility. This venue is as good as any other in the league.

"This is a one-year contract. We'll see how it goes from there. If it's a successful venture, the league will sell the franchise to a private ownership group,"Lee said.

The commissioner insisted the league's move into Slippery Rock is not being done with a future transfer to Butler and a renovated Pullman Park in mind.

"This is totally separate from that or any other dealings elsewhere,"he said. "We looked at a number of possible sites for next season, but none had a facility ready to go. Each one was at least a year away."

The Slippery Rock franchise has no name or logo. That will be determined by Jan. 7 through a contest that's still in the formative stages.

General manager of the team is Steve Tahsler, who is entering his 11th season in the Frontier League and 14th overall in front-office operations.

Longtime SRU baseball manager Jeff Messer will be the franchise's director of baseball operations, who will oversee off-the-field activities for the team. SRUassistant coach Rich Pasquale will be facility manager and oversee the daily operation of Critchfield Park.

The Frontier League baseball season begins May 23, roughly three weeks after the end of SRU's regular baseball season.

Tahsler comes here from Evansville, Ind., where he was general manager of the league champion Evansville Otters last season. He was named the Frontier League Executive of the Year the past two seasons.

Tahsler has been part of more playoff appearances than anybody in league history. He resurrected a Dubois County (Ind.) franchise that had been dormant for five months in 2001.

"That was basically like starting over and we were successful there,"Tahsler said. "Slippery Rock is a unique opportunity and I welcome the challenge. I hit the ceiling in Evansville. There wasn't much more I could have done there."

The Frontier League plays a 96-game schedule from late May through the end of August. However, only 32 games will be played at Critchfield Park.

"The other franchises do own the team and they wanted a few more home games for themselves,"Lee said.

There is no set timetable for the hiring of a manager for Slippery Rock's team, though Tahsler hopes to have one by the end of December.

"We have a short list,"Tahsler said. "It shouldn't take long. Ideally, we want someone familiar with the league and how it operates."

Each league franchise has 24 players, their salaries ranging from $600 to $1,200 per month. A league expansion draft will be held Monday, when the Southern Illinois and Slippery Rock teams may select up to 10 players each from rosters of the 10 other teams.

Other players will be signed through local tryouts and a league draft.

"Having a few local players on a team is common in this league,"Tahsler said. "Of the 22 players on Evansville's roster last year, we had seven local players. Most teams have three or four.

"Player turnover is encouraged in this league. Guys either get signed by major league organizations or they go home and find a real job. I have established connections with major league teams to get word on players they may have released. A lot of those players wind up in our league."

Messer said one of his former players — outfielder and Slippery Rock High School graduate Jason Curry — has already been contacted about trying out for the team.

"This is professional baseball right here at home,"Messer said. "The Frontier League gives players a chance to keep their dreams alive.

"The league gets a lot of exposure and plenty of pro scouts come to its games. No doubt, this can be a shot in the arm for our program and our community."

SRUathletic director Paul Lueken agreed.

"We're not looking at a temporary thing here,"Lueken said. "I hope this team stays here for years and years."

Only one Frontier League franchise, the Chillicothe (Ohio)Paints, has been with the league since its inception in 1993.

"Since 2001, this league has been pretty stable, though,"Lee said. "We've been very successful in the suburbs of major league cities."

Critchfield Park's seating capacity is 1,500 — relatively small by Frontier League standards. Lueken said another 500 seats are being planned in the pavilion area beyond left field.

"Most of our ballparks can hold 3,000 to 4,000 or so,"Lee said. "If we get 1,500 people to come to games here, we'd be thrilled."

Slippery Rock's franchise will play in the league's East Division with Chillicothe, Florence (Ky.) and the Washington (Pa.) Wild Things.

The Frontier League has had 450 players signed by major league franchises over the years, with 14 of them reaching the big leagues. Its most notable alumnus is Anaheim Angels pitcher Brendan Donnelly.